Device for removing screw tops



Jan. 17; 1933. J), EDLUND 1,894,556

DEVICE FOR" REMovING scREw Tops Filed Maron 18, 1.932 l v NT R WITNESS )Y x y Icllnd; W3 A l BY m www?,

ATroRNEY Patented Jan. 17, 1933 vUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'z' I. nDLUNn, or sumaron, muon n'avrcn ron movin@ scnnw Tora Anuman mee Ima 1s, ma. serial ma. 599,865.

This invention relates to a device for removing screw threaded tops from Jars or bottles.

An object of the invention is the provision of a device having movable jaws which will automatically adjust themselves to screw tops of various diameters whether the tops had been applied to jars or bottles and will automatically grip the top by the rotation of a handle and causethe same to be released.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device for removing screw tops from bottles or jars in which an elongated base member is provided having guides to receive slidably mounted adjustable clamping jaws which are moved either to a closed or open position by a rotating shaft actuated by a handle, the jaws being moved` into clamping relation by the rotation of the handle so that the continued rotation will cause rigid clamping of the jaws on the top and unscrewing the same.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device for removing screw tops from jars'iand bottles which is self-centering with respect to the top and with mov# able jaws automatically clamping'onthe top .by the rotation of an actuating member so that the top will be twisted from its fixed position by the continued rotation of the actuating member after the jaws have been clamped to the top.

A still further object ofthe invention is Athe provision of a simple, strong, and durable device which will be automatically clamped to a screw top on a bottle or 'ar, the actuating device for causing the c amping action providing means for twisting the top from its fixed position.

. This invention will be bestunderstood from a `consideration of the following detailed description, in view of the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification; nevertheless, it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modiiications which shall define no materi'al departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawin Figure 1 is a view in perspective of my top removing device applied to a screw top on a Jar,

Figure 2 is a horizontal vertical section taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section taken along the line 4 4 of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of a clamping jaw.

Referring more particularly to the drawing', 10 designates a jar of any approved type having a removable top 11 which is provided with a knurled or threaded portion 12 normally adapted to be gripped by the hand by twisting or turning the top to remove the same from the jar 10. It frequently hapgens that this screw or threaded type of jar as been forced upon the jar with such energy that it is impossible to release the top by ordinary hand pressure.

The top removing deviceconsistsof a base member 13 which is elongated and has provided at its underface flanges 14 and 15 form ing guides. These flanges are spaced from the -underface of the base member. The base member is formed of metal so that the flanges 14 are bent froma blank and form y an integral part of said base member.

A boss 16 is formed centrally of the base member and is provided with a passage to receive a reduced portion 17 of a shaft 17.- The upper end of the boss 16 is provided with a shoulder 18 upon which rests a shoulder 19 formed on the shaft 17. 4A handle 20 receives the 'upper end of the VShaft 17 and is secured thereto at 21.

The reduced portions 17'L ofthe shaft 17 is Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the de- Y provided with a shoulder 22 upon which is mounted a' toothed Wheel 23. A washer 24 is received by the reduced portion 17 a of the shaft and islocated bet-Ween the toothed wheel 23 and an annular shoulder 25 formed on the boss 16. Since the toothed wheel is secured to the shaft the washer 24 maintains the shaft 17 on the base member 13 and prevents reciprocating movement'of the shaft while permitting rotation of the same.

A. pair of jaws 30 and 31 carried by U- shaped members 32 and 33, respectively, each have arms 34 and 35 extending inwardly and received by the guides 14 and 15. The arm 35 is provided with ya plurality of teeth 36 adapted to engage the teeth of the wheel 23,

while the arm 34 is devoid of teeth and is received by the guide 15. It will be noted that both of the arms 35 which are provided with teeth lie in fiat contact with the underface of the base member 13 while the arms, which are devoid of teeth, are maintained in spaced relation on the ibase member by the arms 35.

The bridging portion 37 ofthe U-shaped members an'l 33 are offset from the plane of the toothed arms 35 in order to permit the said, arms to move in a different plane from the plane of the arms 34. The end tooth 39 of each Aarm 35 is flattened so that when the arms 35 are moved to their outwardmost limits the flattened tooth 39 will engage the teeth of the wheel 23 and prevent further longitudinal movement of the meme bers 32 and 33. The inner edges 40 of the bridging portions 32 and 33 will engage each other when the clamping jaws 3() and 31 have been moved to their 'innermost position.

lt will be noted that the jaws 30 and 31 'are curved and the sharp ends 41 of the jaws will engage the outer face or knurled portion 12 of the top 11 so that the jaws will tightly grip the top as will be presently explained.

rlheoperation of my device is as follows:

' The handle 20 is revolved in a clockwise direction for moving the jaws 30 and 31 apart. As soon as they have been opened to accommodate the cover, the device is placed on 'the top with the flanges 14 and 15 resting upon the to l The handle 20 is. then rotated in an anti-c ockwise manner while the jar 10 is firmly held bythe left hand. The right hand holding the device is rotated until the clamping jaws 30 and 31 come into contact with the knurled portions 12 of the top 11 and a continued rotation will cause the jaws to firmly gripy the top, after which the top may be rotated and removed from the jaw.

ln view ofthe fact that the jaws 30 and`31 are formed along the arc of a circle rof small radius, .these jaws may be applied to the screw top lof a. bottle as well as ,to the top of 'a jar of 'considerable size. ln each in- -65 stance, however, the jaws will automatically rotatably mounted grip the top of a jar as the handle 2Q ,is revolved anu-clockwise. y i

lt will be noted that both of the jaws 30 and 31 together with the members y32 and 33 are formed in an identical manner so that these members are interchangeable and in the construction of the device it will not be' necessary to provide separate stamping devices or molds for the formation of mem. bers 32 and 33.

By applying the .same principles of construction in a reverse manner the device may be used to tighten the tops on jars or other receptacles.

\ They device partaking ofthe qualities of a wrench may be employed for tightening or loosening nuts and bolts.

I claim:

1. -'to removing devicey comprising a base mem r provided with guides, a shaft at one end in the base member, means for rotating said .shat,-"a

tooth wheel secured to the inner end of the shaft, U-shaped members provided with topgripping jaws slidably mounted in the ides, one arm of each U-shaped member avin teeth meshing with the` teeth of the whee the toothed arms being located upon o posits sides of the wheel, so that the U-shape members will be moved towards or away from each other when the wheel is rotated.'

2.` A device for removing screw tops from containers comprising an elongated base member having guides along the longitudinal edges thereof, a rack mounted in each guide, an arm connected to andspaced from each rack and slida'bly mounted in the guide which is opposite to lthe guide carrying the connected rack, a 'top-clamping jaw connected to each'rack., a ltoothed wheel support/ed on the plate and meshing with the spaced racks and adapted to be rotated for moving the jaws and racks in opposite directions so that the jaws will be clamped on the-top., means for rotating the toothed wheel until the jaws are clamped on the top when continued operation of the'last-mentloned means will cause the base member, jaws and top to'be rotated thereby unscrewing the top from the container.

3. A top removing device comprising a support, lJ-shaped members provided with top-grippingjaws slidably'mounted in the support, the adj acently disposed arms of the U-shaped members being inecontacting relation W1th each other, a rotatable means bearm of eachv of the Ueshaped members and the rotatable means for causing the jaws to be moved towards each other and into clamping relation with the top, and means for revolving the lrotatable means.

4. A top removing device comprising a support, tlf-shaped members slidably mounted in the support and provided with top-grip ping jaws, the adjacently disposed arms of the U-shaped members being in contact with each other, an arm of one U-shaped member being in a different plane from the other arm of said member, a rotatable means between'the pairs of arms, oo-operating means on one arm of each of the U-shaped members and the rotatable means for causing the jaws to be moved toward each other and into y.1104 clamping relation with the top, and mea-ns 

